For the Family
by ShainaNight
Summary: The most powerful man in the wizarding world needs a bride for his son. And he's got his eye on Alex.
1. A Proposition

**This is my very first Wizards of Waverly Place fan fiction. Hope you like it :)**

**Note: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place.**

"You're trying my patience, Jerry." The silver-haired man leisurely paced the length of the enormous bay window, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I already told you I can't pay you back now, Arthur. Please, just give me another month," Jerry Russo begged, shifting uncomfortably in the straight-backed chair in front of Arthur Pendragon's colossal ebony desk.

"I already gave you a year. That should have been enough. Maybe you shouldn't have borrowed the money in the first place," Arthur said, something reminiscent of a smile twisting his face.

"I had to feed my family," Jerry responded. He was beginning to wish he had never borrowed anything from the likes of Arthur Pendragon, the most powerful and cruel of all wizards. His own powers, when he had still possessed them, had been nothing compared to the man's.

"Pity," Arthur said. He examined the golden eagle head at the top of his cane, choosing to ignore the way Jerry gripped the arms of the chair in anger.

"Do you know nothing of family?" Jerry asked in a low voice.

"Yes. Yes I do know something about it," Arthur said, the wheels turning in his head. He picked up a photo off his desk and looked at it. "I'm prepared to make an exchange, Jerry."

"What is it?"

"I believe you know my son, Ian." Ian was nineteen years old and Arthur's only child. He was a handsome youth, on his way to becoming as powerful as his father. Jerry had met him only a few times before.

"What does he have to do with this?" Jerry asked, confused.

"Here's the deal, Jerry. You have a daughter, am I right?"

"Yes," Jerry said slowly. "Alex. And then there's her brothers, Justin and Max."

"Right. Now if your daughter marries my son, all debts will be forgotten."

"What?! You must be joking. Alex is only seventeen. She's not getting married, especially not to a complete stranger!"

"You have forgotten that, in our world, seventeen is marriageable age."

"Only because the laws in the magical world haven't changed since the Middle Ages," Jerry argued.

"Jerry, Jerry, be reasonable. If I were you I would take this opportunity."

"And if I don't?"

Arthur's face twisted into a smile again. He laid his cane on the desk and turned to face Jerry. "If you fail to comply and still refuse to pay your debt, then I shall obliterate your entire family."

"You can't---you can't do that!" Jerry stuttered.

Arthur's smile faded, replaced by a truly frightening look. "Have you forgotten who I am? The lights flickered, and something akin to electricity crackled in his hand. Jerry shrunk back into the seat.

"She won't do it," he said when he regained his voice.

"I think she will. If she wants her family to stay alive."

Jerry hid his face in his hands. There was no way out., no one he could go to for a help. It took all that was in him to say the next word. "When?"

"Two days from now."

"Two days?!"

"Jerry…"

Jerry sighed. "Okay. Two days."


	2. the Decision

Arthur Pendragon sat with his feet up on his desk, rather pleased with himself. The Russos were a powerful magical family, perhaps more powerful than they realized. It was their goodness that kept them from extending their abilities, blinding them from seeing what they could do.

Arthur knew that the Pendragons were nearly extinct. All that was left of his family was himself and Ian. What he needed was an heir, someone to inherit the Pendragon wealth and carry on the prestigious name. And not just any heir; one with great magical potential. For that he needed the mother to be from the second oldest and greatest family in the magical world. It was very fortuitous that that family had a daughter only two years younger than his son. Yes they were young, but they were old enough. The Pendragon line would survive. It had to.

***

"No."

"Honey…"

"No way, dad! I'm a senior in high school for crying out loud." Alex was shocked and upset. Her arms were crossed, and her jaw was set.

Jerry looked at his daughter, unable to help thinking how much she looked like her mother. She had the same dark brown hair that was nearly black, framing a pixie-like face with sparkling brown eyes, and the same stubborn look. It made his heart break knowing he was going to lose her.

"Dad, why does she have to do this?" Justin asked. He, Max, and their mother, Theresa, had been watching the fight from a safe distance and were just as confused as Alex was.

Jerry sighed, knowing what he had to say next would be the hardest. "If Alex doesn't marry Ian, his father will wipe our family off the face of the earth."

"Oh honey," Theresa said, stunned. It was a wonder she didn't die from the shock of learning her daughter had to get married or her family would be destroyed.

Alex was speechless. Finally she turned around and ran to her room. The others heard the door slam behind her.

"She's got a lot to think about," Theresa said softly.

"We all do," Jerry remarked, his tone grave.

Alex didn't come out of her room for two days. She racked her brains for a solution to her problem, some way to get out of the marriage, but could think of nothing. There was no magic she could perform, no place she could run. On the morning of the wedding, as her red eyes watched the sun rise, she made her decision.

The rest of the family was sitting in the living room, all of them staring off into the distance. There had been a lot of that happening lately. It took them a while to notice that Alex had walked into the room. She was wearing a white eyelet dress, ballet flats, and strategic makeup to hide the tear stains on her cheeks.

"I'm ready," she said in a hoarse voice.

"Baby…" Theresa didn't know what to say. She blinked back the tears that were threatening to choke her up.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jerry asked.

"I have to, Dad. There's no other way out," Alex replied, her eyes on the floor.

"Are you sure?" Justin asked. He was the last person who wanted to see his younger sister get married at seventeen.

"This is Alex we're talking about, Justin," Max said. "Don't you think, if there was a way out, she would've found it?" He tried to make his tone light, but his anxiety showed through. He hadn't been expecting this at all.

"Alright. Let's go then," Jerry said gruffly, heading towards the door that led to the magical world.

-----------------------------

**Don't you just love cliffhangers :). Comments appreciated, hope you like it so far. As you may have noticed, this story doesn't follow any story line that's in the episodes, but I wanted to do something different.**


	3. Tears and Weddings

**Chapter three, woo-hoo lol. Luckily for you guys I already have this story finished, so my cliffhangers don't last very long :). I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place or the characters. Just the Pendragons and their storyline.  
**

**Please feel free to review!**

The wedding was to take place in the Pendragons' main residence, a castle somewhere in Europe. The Russos arrived right at the time Arthur had appointed. They walked through the front doors, feeling uncomfortable the moment they entered the cold stone castle.

Alex didn't notice. She walked with a purpose, her jaw set and her eyes focused. She knew if she stopped to think she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She looked as if she was marching to battle.

The Great Hall was bare save two candelabras at the far end, in between which a priest stood. Arthur, dressed in a pressed suit as usual, with a burgundy rose in his buttonhole, stood to his left. Ian was in front of him, wearing tan slacks and a loose, collared white shirt. His light brown hair was untamed, and his expression was none to pleased. It appeared that his father had forced him into this as well.

Alex looked up as she walked down the aisle and caught his green-eyed gaze. What she saw in those eyes almost made her stop in her tracks. Her heart fluttered in a way that was strange from her, and she had to regain her composure. Ian seemed just as surprised as her.

Alex barely heard the priest begin the vows. Everything was so unreal, and her mind was rather muddled. She said I do in the appropriate places, although it sounded a bit mechanical. She watched numbly as the silver band was slipped on her finger by gentle hands. When it was time for the kiss, they brushed cheeks instead. The contact woke Alex up from her reverie. She turned to see her mom crying and her father and brothers trying to smile, although the sadness shone through.

"Well done, son," Arthur said warmly, patting Ian on the back. Ian didn't smile.

"Happy now?" Ian asked stiffly, his voice low.

Arthur ignored him. He looked at Alex and smiled in what he thought was a friendly way, looking very much like a satisfied snake. "Congratulations, my dear," he said.

Alex glared at him coldly, and the smile faltered for a second.

"To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I'm giving you two the Pendragon mountain residence as your new home," Arthur announced.

"Why, so I won't run away?" Alex said bluntly. She had heard about that place from her father. It was high in the Alps, practically in the clouds. Magic was difficult to perform there unless it was Pendragon magic, and traveling to it on foot was a treacherous affair. It was more of a fortress than a vacation home.

Arthur laughed as if she had just told a joke. "You kids might as well get going," he said.

"Wait," Alex spoke up as the man began to steer her and Ian towards the door. "I want to say goodbye to my family."

The Russos' farewell was lengthy and tearful. Alex hugged her brothers and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. When she got to Theresa, the woman pulled her in a bone-crunching hug and kissed her.

"I love you, Mom," Alex said, her voice breaking.

"I love you too, baby," Theresa said shakily. "I promise you we'll see each other again. As soon as possible, if we can."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Arthur's rude voice interrupted. "Come on, Alex Pendragon. Daylight's a wasting."

Alexis didn't like the way he said her name, as if he was trying to make a point. But she said goodbye to her family and joined Ian anyway.

"I'm sorry about this," Ian muttered.

"Let's just get out of here," Alex said, wiping away a tear. She could feel Arthur's eyes boring into the back of her head. All she wanted to do was leave his cold, dark castle and the aura of evil that filled it.

Ian didn't seem to want to stick around either. He laid a hand on Alex's arm, and in seconds the formidable dank entrance hall dissolved. It was replaced by another hall that was also built of stone, although this one had lit torches to chase away the dreariness.

"Are you okay?" Ian asked. Apparently the second tear had not escaped his notice.

That's when Alex broke down at last. She buried her face in her hands and sank to the floor, sobbing. She wanted to forget all about everything that had happened to her in the mere span of a day. Ian stayed right there with her, rubbing her back until the sobs faded away.

"Why are you still here?" Alex questioned, looking up at Ian.

Ian sat down on the floor next to her. "Listen, Alex. I'm not my father. I never will be. When he told me about this arrangement, I tried to do everything in my power---literally---to keep it from happening, but I couldn't. Finally I just decided that it would be better to be here, with you, than trapped at home with him, hearing about how I was such a disappointment and the Pendragon name would surely die out because of me."

"You---wanted to be here with me? In this snow trap?" Alex said. She knew what Ian had left behind; the Pendragons were filthy rich. A son of Arthur would have everything he could possibly need or want.

"Well it's not as much of a trap as you might think. Here, come with me and I'll show you around." Ian stood up and offered Alex his hand. She took it, curious, and allowed herself to be led through the castle.

The residence turned out to be not as depressing as she had thought. Every stonewalled corridor, every enormous room, was lit by torches, and a blazing hearth was a common sight. The cold floors were covered in thick velvet rugs, and tapestries toned down the blandness of the walls. There was a study, complete with a telescope and astronomical charts, a cozy dining room, and too many bedrooms to count. Outside the mullioned windows, snow danced by, its coldness unable to touch the warmth inside the castle.

"I used to run away here when I couldn't take it anymore. My dad hated coming here. Too cheerful for him I guess," Ian said.

"You and your dad don't seem that much alike," Alex remarked.

"No, we aren't. Not that anyone knows that. I get labeled as a spoiled Pendragon before people even meet me," Ian responded, a little sadly.

"I'm sorry," Alex said, thinking about her relationship with her father.

"Well it's not all that bad. My dad got the best tutors for me that there were, allowing me to graduate far earlier than everyone else. After school he got me a job as the Astronomy professor at Merlin University."

Alex snorted. "You're a professor? But you're only nineteen."

"I'm the youngest teacher in the university's history. People joke, but I don't mind. I love astronomy."

"Me too. Or stargazing at least." Alex smiled.

The more Ian and Alex talked, the more they learned how much they had in common. They could have been very good friends if Ian hadn't been a Pendragon and Alex hadn't been a Russo; bad family against good. No one could ever have suspected that, one day, the families might get along. Although it was more of a surprise to all the wizards in the magical world that they had actually merged into one family.

Twilight fell soon enough. The castle was eerie at night, and Alex couldn't help being wary of the shadows that lurked just outside the rim of candlelight at the dining room table. It was also draftier, and she shivered slightly over her barely-touched food.

"Something wrong?" Ian asked from the other end of the oak table.

"I'm not really hungry. And it's a bit cold in here," Alex said, trying to be polite. Ian sounded truly concerned.

"Yeah, I'm not hungry either. Sorry about the draft; can't be helped with old castles." Ian stood up and went to pull Alex's chair out so she could get up. "Are you tired?" He asked.

"It has been a long day," Alex replied, yawning.

"Then come with me. I'll show you where your room is."

Alex followed Ian up the elegant staircase, a little apprehensive. Did he expect them to share a room?

It turned out that she didn't have anything to worry about, however, for Ian bid her goodnight and left her at the door of a rather impressive suite.

Alex changed into pajamas (which magically---literally---appeared on the chair) and got into bed. She found it hard to get to sleep in such a strange place. Although comfortable, the bed was cold, and the odd creaks of the castle made the darkness even more foreboding. Sometime around one o' clock in the morning, Alex awoke from a nightmare screaming. The door flew open a few seconds later, and Ian rushed in.

"Alex! Are you okay?" Ian asked, worried.

"My parents…my brothers…were…were…" Alex said, still half-asleep.

"Hey, everything's fine," Ian said soothingly, sitting down next to her and taking her hand. "It was just a dream."

"I know. But it seemed so real," Alex said, wiping her eyes. Her nightmare had involved her family dying at the hands of Arthur Pendragon. Not exactly the kind of dream you can go right back to sleep after.

Ian massaged Alex's hand for a few minutes until she was calmed down, then got up to go back to his own room.

"Wait! Please don't leave me here all alone," Alex pleaded, grabbing his arm.

Ian smiled sympathetically and laid down next to her. Alex rested her head on his shoulder, and in seconds she had drifted off to sleep. Ian wasn't quite as quick. Holding her like that brought up new feelings within him, ones he had to think about for a while before he could allow himself to go to sleep.


	4. The Rat Who Came to Call

**Hmm, it appears the chapters are getting a little bit longer :). I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place.**

Alex woke up to a beautiful sunlit day alone. Ian had left a note behind, saying that he had gone off to work and would be back around seven in the evening. At first she felt a little lost without his comforting presence, but hunger made sure she didn't think about it for long. She got out of bed and went to find breakfast.

A enormous meal consisting of eggs, bacon, toast, scones, orange juice, and milk was set out on the dining room table. Alex, who was suddenly starving after not eating the previous evening, ate as much as she could. When she was done, she went to search the study for a good book.

The next few days fell into routine. Ian held Alex throughout the night and then left at eight in the morning. Alex woke up about an hour later, ate breakfast, and explored the castle further. Around six she curled up with a book and read until Ian came home, and then the two of them ate dinner together and went to bed. On occasion Ian took her out to see the mountain, or on the roof for stargazing. Surprisingly, Alex enjoyed this life. True, she did miss her family and her home, but there was something about living in a castle with Ian, with so many things to discover, that she liked. For one thing, the study was so extensive that she need not worry about finishing school; as if high school even mattered in the magical world. She learned a lot more from those books, some of them what the mortal world considered the stuff of fairy tales.

About a month after the wedding, there was a sudden knock at the door. This surprised Alex, for no one ever visited the Pendragon winter residence. Curious, she put her book on Greek myths down and went to answer it.

A man stood there, flurries swirling around him. He was an unpleasant sort of fellow, despite the crooked smile on his face, for his eyes glinted with a sort of self-righteousness and his manner was imposing. He was perhaps twenty years older than Ian and had thinning black hair and a limp mustache. He wore a pressed suit much like the kind Arthur Pendragon would wear.

"Good evening, dear lady. I'm Mordred Orkney, one of Ian's colleagues from Merlin University. And who might you be?" The man said.

"Alex. I'm his wife," Alex said, gripping the door warily. She still didn't like the look of Professor Orkney.

Professor Orkney seemed surprised by this information. "Well I need to speak with Ian."

"He won't be home till seven."

"I see. Can I wait inside until he gets back?"

Alex thought about this. They had only half an hour anyway. And the man did say he was a colleague of Ian. What harm would it do if he just waited?

"Thank you so much, miss," Professor Orkney said as Alex closed the door behind him. He walked into the parlor and sat down. Alex returned to her leather chair beside the hearth and picked up her book again.

Reading with Professor Orkney in the room wasn't very easy. Alex caught him staring at her intently several times. Eventually he got up and wandered around the parlor before sitting on a couch very near her.

"You know, you're rather young to be married," he remarked.

"I know." Alex didn't feel like volunteering information. She was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind my asking, why did you get married?"

"That's kind of none of your business."

"Oh come on. I'm rather bored. A little interesting story will help pass the time."

"His father arranged it." Alex was not about to tell a perfect stranger about her life traumas.

"Ah, yes. Good old Arthur Pendragon." Professor Orkney chuckled. "I suppose he forced you into it."

Alex didn't answer.

"Well I think you are a very advantageous addition to the Pendragon family. And a very beautiful one at that." Professor Orkney put his hand on Alex's knee. She immediately jerked away and jumped out of the chair.

"Listen, Professor Orkney. Maybe this isn't such a good idea," she said, instantly on alert.

"Please. Call me Mordred," Professor Orkney said softly, moving towards her.

"Stop it, Professor Orkney," Alex warned, refusing to say what he wanted to hear. He was backing her into a corner with no escape routes, and for someone who was mildly claustrophobic it wasn't a very good feeling.

"I know you don't mean that." Professor Orkney's voice was honey-sweet, making Alex cringe. The man stroked her arm, leaning in to brush his lips against her neck.

Alex was half shocked and half incredibly mad. But nothing she did could make the professor stop.

Without warning, there was a flash of light, and Professor Orkney was thrown backward. Alex crumpled to the floor, the realization of what had just happened finally coming down on her. She looked up to see Ian standing there, still wearing his black Professor's robes, holding Professor Orkney by the collar. The look on Ian's face scared even Alex a little.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Home."

Professor Orkney looked terrified. He disappeared in a greenish puff of smoke as quick as he could.

"Alex! Are you okay?" Ian questioned, his fear showing in his voice. He was at Alex's side in seconds, helping her to her feet.

"F-fine, thanks to you," she said, a little shakily.

"Thank goodness," Ian said. And then he did something he had never done before. He kissed her on the lips.

The unexpected kiss stunned Alex, but once she got over the initial shock, she kissed him right back. A melting feeling spread through her entire body, making her knees weak. She lost her balance and fell into Ian.

"Whoa," Ian said, catching her. "I think you need to rest." He helped Alex over to the couch.

"I'm sorry I got so rough. But when I saw that---creature---all over you…I can't explain it. Something just exploded," Ian told her.

"I'm sorry I let him in. He told me he was a colleague of yours, from the university. It's lucky you came home when you did," Alex said.

"There's no way you could have known. He was once a colleague of mine; that much is true. But the university had to fire him for harassing the female students. I imagine he came here to ask me if I could persuade the board to take him back, and then saw you…if I ever see that rat again, so help me…"

"Hey, don't worry. He's gone now, and I'm fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

Alex kissed him. It was a good thing she was already laying down because the melting feeling had returned. "Absolutely." She smiled. "You know what? I'm not sure---I've never really had any experience with this before---but I think I love you."

"Well I know I love you. I've known it for a while now," Ian admitted softly. He sat down next to her and traced patterns on the palms of her hands until she fell asleep.

**You may have noticed a pattern in the names. Both Arthur and Pendragon come from Arthurian legend, as do Merlin and Mordred. Mordred was King Arthur's illegitimate son and traitor to the throne. I figured that the names fit pretty well considering the Arthurian tales are full of magic.**


	5. Unexpected Surprise

**I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or the characters from it.**

Although Alex hated to admit it, she and Ian were fulfilling Arthur Pendragon's plan perfectly. True, she still missed her family, but Ian had become her family as well. She had everything she wanted, everything she needed. Ian even gave her a Gibson J200 guitar for Christmas just because she said she enjoyed playing.

"That's really beautiful," Ian commented one snowy day by the hearth. Alex had just finished a ballad on the guitar, which happened to be perfectly in tune. Magic was useful for a lot of things.

"Thanks. I wrote it a few years ago. Sounds way better on this than my old Johnson though," Alex responded, running a hand over the fretboard.

"I didn't know you wrote songs," Ian said, smiling. His eyes glowed from the reflection of firelight and the fact that he was looking at Alex.

"Yeah. It beat the video games we could never afford," Alex told him. She gazed off into space for a moment. Her fingers suddenly began moving over the strings, pealing out a haunting melody. Ian, who was instantly captivated, came back to reality with a jolt when the song stopped abruptly. The pick fell out of Alex's hand, and she reached up to rub her forehead.

"You okay?" Ian asked, noting the look on her face.

"Yeah, sure," Alex lied. The entire room had begun to spin, making her feel sick to her stomach.

Ian didn't believe her. He leapt out of his chair just as the guitar slid out of her lap and put an arm behind her back to keep her from falling over.

"Alex, you look ill," he said, worried.

Alex found herself unable to reply. She covered her mouth and ran in the direction of the bathroom.

Ian followed her and held her hair away from her face. Sick didn't particularly bother him right now; he had other concerns at the moment to worry about.

When she was done, Alex gargled mouthwash and then said, "I'm so sorry about that."

"It's fine. I guess it'll be a while until we have shepherd's pie again though," Ian joked, trying to laugh away the fear. Alex did look a little better, although she was leaning against the bathroom sink for support.

"I shouldn't have eaten so much of it, actually. I've just been so hungry lately," Alex said as she and Ian returned to the living room.

"Well you're okay now." Ian grinned and kissed her on the cheek. He still had his doubts, but he kept them quiet.

Little did Ian know that was just the beginning. A few days later when he was at work, Alex got dizzy and threw up again. She didn't know what was going on, but she didn't want to worry Ian by telling him about it.

Finally, after a week of similar bouts, usually in the morning, Alex suddenly realized something.

"Ian, is there some sort of store around here?" Alex asked one evening, feeling slightly awkward.

Ian laughed. "We're kind of on the top of a mountain. The nearest village is miles away. Why?"

"Oh I just need a few things," Alex said vaguely.

"Hold on." Ian got up to go look for something. He came back with a charm, on which was suspended a gold coin. "Here," he said, handing her the charm. "Just clasp that with both hands, close your eyes, and make a wish. Whatever you need will appear."

Alex smiled. "Thanks," she said, taking the charm.

The following day, Ian came home to a seemingly empty castle. When he finally found Alex, she was sitting on the bathroom floor, hugging her legs. Her eyes were wide in shock. Lying on the tile beside her was a strip of plastic…

"Alex," Ian said, speechless, when at last he figured it out.

Alex simply stared at him and nodded. She looked small and lost for the first time since Ian had first seen her.

Ian didn't know what to do. He turned and left, letting his feet take him wherever they wished, which ended up being the balcony. The cold air refreshed him a little, allowing him to think. This was exactly what his father had wanted; Ian knew that well. The Pendragons had been in need of an heir for quite some time, to carry on the line. But this wasn't the way Ian wanted it to happen. He had been prepared to wait several years more, when it was safer. How could he have been so stupid?

"It's all my fault."

Ian turned to see Alex standing there, her arms folded across her stomach. She looked so vulnerable that it tore at Ian's heart. "No. The blame's mine. You've been the victim of my family's decisions from the beginning," he said strongly. "We should go back inside now. It's freezing out here."

Ian ushered Alex inside, shut the French doors firmly behind him, and went to the kitchen to make tea. Alex was lying on the couch when he brought her a mug, her hands over her eyes. She sat up and took the tea from him as if nothing had happened, but the redness of her eyes gave it away. Ian sat down next to her.

"Everything's going to be alright, Alex. Really we should be happy about this," Ian said, trying to sound cheerful. After all, he was excited about being a father.

"I'm only seventeen, Ian," Alex reminded him, wrapping her fingers tightly around her mug and staring into it's murky depths.

"I know," Ian sighed. "Sometimes I really hate my dad."

"You realize he's going to be very pleased when he finds out."

"Well we're not going to tell him. At least not yet. The minute he finds out he'll make all sorts of plans to take our child away and raise it the way he wants it to be raised."

Alex's hand flew instinctively to her stomach. "He can't," she said, the panic clear in her voice.

"He won't. Not if I have something to say about it," Ian said firmly. Alex relaxed. "How much longer do we have?"

"Six months, I think."

"Well I'm pretty sure I can get a six-month leave from the university. I'm due for a vacation anyway."

"You can't do that, Ian. If you're suddenly absent from your job for six months, word might get back to your father, and he might come calling to see what's going on. I'll be fine staying here alone."

"Like when Orkney came skulking around? I don't think so."

"Orkney took me by surprise. If I'm prepared…"

"No. Your magic is faulty around this place anyway."

"Then protect the castle somehow."

"I can't. My dad would know how to get right past Pendragon enchantments."

"Ian, I'm not going to let you do this!" Alex was getting angry. The empty mug in her hands shattered. She stood to face Ian.

"I have to, Alex. What if something happens and you can't get what you need, and no one's here to help?"

"I can handle it! I'm not entirely helpless, you know!" Alex yelled. That was the last straw for her body, which had been trying to tell her she had already reached her stress level. Her vision suddenly went black. She felt the world tilt, and then Ian's arms around her.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. Alex, can you hear me?" Ian said, his voice panicked.

Alex found that she couldn't answer him. It was as if all of her motor skills had temporarily shut down in an attempt to allow her body to recover. A few moments later she felt the comfort of the sheets and blankets on her bed. Gradually her eyesight came back to her, and Ian's scared face came into view.

"Okay, now that's new," Alex said, blinking a few times.

Ian exhaled in relief. "Good grief, you scared me to death!" He said. "Do you see what I mean though?"

"I guess so." Alex sat up against the headboard. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know."

All of a sudden, something similar to a gong echoed through the castle.

"What was that?" Alex asked, looking around for the source.

"The doorbell," Ian said, although he seemed to be just as confused.

"But no one ever visits this place," Alex said. Whoever it was busy pounding frantically on the door.

"If it's Orkney again I swear…" Ian muttered, heading towards the entry hall. Alex got out of bed, leaning against the stone wall to steady herself, and followed him.

**Bet that little twist surprised you. hmm or maybe you were suspicious it might happen, I don't know lol. Anyway I was reading through fan fictions and I thought, why does the girl always get pregnant and then marry (or in some cases not) the guy? Why can't she be married first, like the way it's supposed to be? So yeah there you go, I mixed it up a little for you. Oh, and I hope you guys are liking Ian. I'm trying to make a sweet gentleman out of him and I think it's going okay so far. ha.  
**

**And who could possibly be at the door? Don't worry, you won't have to wait long to find out. Btw, reviews make me a happy person :)**


	6. Dani

**I don't own WOWP.**

Ian got to the door first. He threw it open to find a dark-haired girl standing there, covered head to toe in snow.

"Dani?!" What in the world are you doing here?" Alex asked in astonishment. Dani Romano was her best friend from the magical world. She hadn't expected to ever see her again.

"What do you think I'm doing here? I go on vacation for two weeks and come back to learn that my best friend's married and living in Europe!" Dani said, almost hysterical. She crossed the threshold and stared narrowed her eyes at Ian. "And just so you know, I don't like you."

"No Dani, it's his dad who's evil, not him," Alex said quickly.

"Runs in the family I say," Dani responded, although she did calm down a little.

"Dan, I still don't get why you made the nearly impossible trip to our front door just to say hello," Alex said as Ian closed the door behind the newcomer.

"Well truth is, I was kinda enlisted by your family. Apparently Russo magic is the worst kind to use around Pendragon land. Believe me, they tried. So they sent me instead; the Romanos are probably the obscurest of magical families. And I really wanted to come anyway, so here I am," Dani explained.

"I'm glad you did," Alex said with a smile. If she couldn't see her family, at least she had Dani to make her feel better; the girl was like a sister to her.

"You must be cold. Why don't you and Alex sit by the fire and I'll go get you some tea," Ian said.

"Fine, but don't poison it or anything," Dani said curtly.

Alex laughed. "Come on, Dani."

Dani whistled as they sat down by the hearth in the living room, glancing around at every extravagant furnishing and tapestry. "Beats my house. This place is like one hundred times bigger," she said.

"How are things back home?" Alex asked, curling up on her favorite couch.

"Same old same old. My mom spends a lot of her time over at your house, trying to cheer everyone up."

"Is it that bad?"

"Not terribly. Although my mom did bring board games last time, which she wouldn't do unless she was desperate."

Alex laughed. She had missed her friend's humor over the past couple of months.

"Well you haven't changed a bit. No wait, I take that back. You are a little pale," Dani noted.

"That's not anything different," Alex said, hugging her knees again. She wasn't sure how her friend would react to the news.

"No, this is different. Are you sure you're not sick or something?"

"I'm sure."

"Alex, you should know by now that you can't hide anything from me. Come on, spill." Dani scooted the ottoman she was sitting on closer to Alex, who suddenly wasn't feeling too well. Her heart was beating at a nervous pace.

"Please stop," Alex said, covering her mouth. Her stomach was threatening to repeat past history, and she didn't exactly want to run to the bathroom with Dani there.

"Irritable and sick, but for no obvious reason. This isn't like you, Alex." Dani had dropped her joking manner and was now looking Alex up and down as if searching for an answer.

"Well you usually are when you're---" Alex stopped mid-sentence, finding it hard to finish.

Dani's eyes widened. "Are you...pregnant?" She asked in a low voice.

Alex nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Alex! What in the world were you thinking?!" Dani shrieked, clearly shocked.

"What's going on?" Ian asked, drawn to the living room by Dani's shriek. He was wiping scalding tea off his hands.

"You!" Dani said when she saw Ian. Her eyes narrowed again. She marched up to him, completely ignoring the fact that he was a whole foot taller than her. "Think you can just take advantage of her just because she's stuck here with you? Are all Pendragons really that selfish?"

"It's not like that!" Ian retorted, angry. It didn't help things that he already felt responsible for the situation.

"Stop it, you guys!" Alex demanded, but no one heard her. It wasn't until she got up and raced towards the bathroom that the two stopped arguing.

Dani apologized immediately when Alex reappeared. "Sorry, Alex. I got a little...carried away. I guess I was just so in shock, and yelling is one way for me to handle things," she said.

Alex smiled wanly. "I know. It was kind of unexpected."

"I'm still happy for you, you know."

"Dani, it's okay. Besides, I might have been worried something was wrong with you if you hadn't overreacted," Alex joked.

Dani grinned and helped her friend to the couch.

"I think I have an idea," Ian suddenly said, looking from his wife to her best friend. "It's not my favorite, but it might just work out."

And that was how Dani was appointed to help Alex while she was carrying the child. She sent a message home to her mother that evening, saying that she would be staying for a couple months because Alex was seriously ill. At least that's what she had to say. No one, not even Alex's family, could know about the baby. Word traveled like lightning in the magical world, and Arthur would have surely found out one way or another.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alex asked her friend after her first night sleeping in the castle.

"Of course. My mom's busy enough; I'm probably making it easier for her by staying here," Dani responded, stirring the eggs with the wave of her hand. She had insisted on making a large breakfast that morning after Ian left for work. "Anyways, what if I went home and you fell off the edge of the mountain or something? Nope, I'm staying here."

Alex smiled. "Well it does get pretty lonely when Ian's not here," she said.

"About Ian. You sure he's okay?" Dani asked.

"Yeah. We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the past several months. Anyway, do you think I'd be in this situation if I knew he wasn't a good guy?"

"But he is a Pendragon, and you know how they are."

"Just because his family has a reputation doesn't mean he's like that. Remember your Grandpa Vinnie?"

"Alex! You know we don't speak of Grandpa Vinnie and his 'issues'."

"Oh, you mean with the mob?"

"Alex..."

"Hey, just making a point. You turned out okay. Or at least I think you did."

Dani slapped her with a kitchen towel and laughed. "Okay, okay. I got it. I'm just worried."

"We all are. Maybe we should just try to relax; stress only makes it harder."

"True." Dani busied herself with buttering four pieces of toast. "So do you have a name picked out yet?"

"Dani, I just found out yesterday," Alex reminded her.

"Oh come on. When we were little we had a whole list of names picked out."

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I'll have to talk to Ian about it."

"Or you could just name it after your best friend."

"Oh yeah, a boy named Daniela. I can see that happening."

"If it's a girl, you nut. or Daniel, if it's a boy. My name's pretty versatile."

"Really? Well, we'll see."

**Notes: Dani is based quite a bit off of Demi Lovato. I needed a comic relief character, so I brought her in. Thanks for reading, please review.**


	7. Too Soon

**I do not own WOWP.**

The months passed slowly, as time will for people living atop a remote mountain. With Dani there Ian grew less and less anxious, and Dani slowly learned to like---or at least get along with---Alex's husband.

When Alex was seven months along, she started having trouble with her pregnancy. After collapsing for the third time in a week, Dani put her on bed rest. It wasn't an easy task; Alex was as stubborn as they come and insisted on doing things herself.

"I don't see why I have to lay down," Alex complained. Her words were closely followed by a sharp pain in her side, making her inhale sharply.

"Um yeah I think you got your answer," Dani remarked, sitting in a chair beside the bed. "Listen, it's going to be okay. Just two more months, remember."

Alex groaned and fell back into her pillow. "What am I supposed to do all day?" She asked.

"Rest, let your body heal from the beating it's been getting."

"That doesn't sound very fun," Alex responded, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Hey, what do you think I'm here for? I happen to have a collection of soppy chick flicks at my disposal." Dani grinned and pulled the wish charm out of her pocket.

"Dani, remember what we said about abusing the power of the charm."

"Hey, what's the last time a wizard ever bought anything? Anyways, it's for a good cause."

Alex shook her head, but she let her friend set up a mini movie theater in the room. With Dani sitting next to her and a movie playing on the screen that hadn't even been released in the mortal world yet, Alex soon began to forget about feeling so miserable.

Halfway through Alex's eighth month, Dani went to Ian's study to speak with him while Alex was asleep.

"I'm worried about her, Ian," she said.

"Yeah, I know," Ian said, polishing his telescope. His manner suggested that he was at ease, but Dani knew for a fact that he had already polished that telescope three times that day.

"I mean even more so than usual. I don't think her body is adjusting properly; the morning sickness was supposed to die down months ago. And she still gets dizzy when she stands up."

"So it's not normal at all?" Ian asked.

"Man you are such a guy," Dani said with a sigh. "All this stuff usually happens in the first three months. After that it kind of goes away."

"But it's not going away." Ian's tone was serious. "Why?"

"Because she's young, and for someone who's half Latino she's unusually small. Personally I think that the Pendragon blood has something to do with it too. Just saying."

Ian dropped into a leather chair and rubbed his forehead.

"Hey, you okay?" Dani asked, suddenly noticing how much the stress was wearing on him. She wasn't sure, but she thought she could see a few gray strands in his light brown hair.

"I love her, Dani. I love her, but I can't do anything for her. I'm a wizard, yet not even my magic can help her."

"Hey, don't do that to yourself. She's going to be fine. She's got us, remember?"

Ian smiled weakly. "I hope you're right. For Alex's sake, at least."

Three days later, Dani was feeling worn out. Looking after Alex was turning out to be quite a hassle. She decided to take a short nap and was conked out for an hour when Alex decided to make her escape.

Walking was more difficult than it used to be. Alex's balance was off, and she had to rest a hand on the wall to keep herself from falling, but she enjoyed not being under constant supervision every second of the day.

When she was in a corridor just off the entrance hall, there was a sudden crackling sound, and two people tumbled out of thin air. Alex stopped in her tracks and gasped.

"Okay, we are not traveling by wizard mail again," Justin said firmly.

"Hey, it was your idea. Only way to get into this place, you said," Max told him.

Right then, both boys noticed their sister standing a little ways off.

"Alex!" Justin exclaimed happily. He ran to give her a hug, but Max held him back.

"Dude," Max said, his voice shocked. Justin followed his younger brother's eyes to Alex's stomach. She covered it with her hand, but at eight months it was impossible to hide.

"Alex...what in the world..." Justin was at a loss for words.

"Surprise," Alex said nervously. Max was busy freaking out, and it didn't exactly make matters any better.

Without warning, a pain unlike Alex had ever experienced before cut like a knife through her side. She cried out and sunk to the floor.

"Alex!" Will shouted. He ran to help his sister, who was still clutching her side and yelling in pain.

"What's going on?!" Dani came running, having been awoken instantly when sounds of the commotion reached her ears. She inhaled sharply when she saw Alex. "Help me get her to her room, Justin," she said, grabbing Alex's arm. Justin took the other.

"What about me? How can I help?" Max asked, although he looked scared enough already.

"Find a phone and press the red button. That should connect you to Ian. Tell him what's going on!" Dani called out as she hurried down the hall.

"Okay!" Max said, relieved to have a job he could actually do. He raced through the castle until he found a phone and hit the aforementioned button. "Hey, are you Ian?" The boy asked when someone answered.

"Yes...who's this?"

"Max, Alex's brother. But that doesn't really matter right now. It's Alex. I'm not really sure but I think she just went into labor," Max said, his words coming out in a rush. Thankfully, Ian understood.

"I'll be right there." Ian said. A click immediately followed.

A couple hours later, Justin and Max were still waiting outside the door to Ian and Alex's bedroom. Alex's screams had died away long ago, but that only made the two brothers more nervous.

"Dani, what's going on?" Justin asked anxiously when Dani rushed out to find some fresh sheets.

"She passed out early in the labor. We're trying to save the baby now," Dani said hurriedly before disappearing.

"Oh yeah that makes me feel ten times better," Max said.

Time went by slowly for Justin and Max. At last, just as darkness fell outside the windows, they heard the first weak baby cry. Dani emerged a few moments later, carrying a tiny bundle in her arms. She was smiling.

"It's a girl," she said.

Justin and Max gazed at the bundle in awe. Being one month premature, the baby was far too small. She was a beautiful thing, though, with both Alex's wide brown eyes and Ian's fair hair.

"How's Alex?" Justin asked.

Dani's face fell. "Still unconscious."

Justin pushed past Dani and entered the room. Alex was lying in the bed, eyes closed, drenched in sweat. If it weren't for the rise and fall of her chest, he would have though she was dead.

Ian looked just as frightened as Justin, if not more. He was sitting by the bed, holding Alex's limp hand. Every once and a while he'd close his eyes and whisper a few words.

"The healing spells aren't working," Ian said in a depressed voice.

"They're probably not strong enough," Justin surmised. Healing spells were the most finicky of all magic, since magic and medicine didn't quite mix. Sometimes they worked, and sometimes they didn't, and even if they did work they were much too weak to make any real improvement. "Guess we're going to have to do this the old-fashioned way and just wait."

Ian sighed and nodded.

**Hope you liked it. Please review :)**


	8. At Last

**Final Chapter, thanks for reading this far. Please review :)**

**I do not own WOWP.  
**

Three days passed with no change. Dani appointed herself caregiver of the infant, feeding her goat's milk imported from the village in the valley and rocking her to sleep every night with lullabies.

"I think we should name her," Dani told Ian on the third day.

Ian looked up at her with red eyes. "In case we lose Alex?"

Dani had been eluding that particular part. "She needs a name regardless."

"Fine. Alexandra," Ian said.

Dani laughed. "You can't name a kid after her mother. If someone calls out 'hey Alex!' they'll both show up."

"Then it can be her middle name."

"Okay, okay. But she needs a first name."

Ian got up off the couch. Dani noticed that he was much thinner than usual. "You pick one out then." He said before leaving the room.

Dani picked up the child and went to Alex's room. She sat down by the head of the bed and put the small bundle on Alex's chest.

"Come on, Alex. I need you to wake up. Your daughter needs you. Ian needs you, your family needs you. I need you. Please...just wake up." Dani buried her face in her arms.

"What's her name?"

Dani barely heard the question because of how faint it was. She looked up in surprise to find that Alex eyes were just barely open.

"She has a middle name, but not a first name yet."

"Daniela. Her name is...Daniela." It had been an effort to get the words out, and Alex went under soon after.

Dani smiled. "Daniela Alexandra it is."

"What exactly are we supposed to tell my parents?" Justin asked Dani. Daniela was sleeping, with Max watching over her.

"Nothing. Daniela's too young. If Arthur finds out about her and whisks her away, she might not survive."

"Dani, Max and I left home a week ago. My mom and dad are bound to be worried about us. And they really should know about their grandchild," Justin said.

"If they do know, they're going to want to come here. And unless they come through the mail like you guys, which you know you just lucked out with that, they won't be able to. Besides, what would you do if you learned that your daughter's unconscious, recovering from the birth of her premature child at the age of seventeen?"

"You may have a point there. But we still need to tell them, and soon. I was mad when I found out that you all were hiding this, because I'm her older brother. It's been my job since Alex was born to protect her, and for the longest time I couldn't."

"Well you're doing a pretty good job holding up."

"No thanks to the Pendragons. With a little help from the Romanos."

"Oh yeah, you've really got to watch out for us Romanos."

"Why, because you're part of the mafia?"

"Hey! No stealing my jokes."

"Sorry. Just thought it was obvious."

Dani punched him, and he swatted her back.

"Didn't your mama every teach you not to hit girls?" Dani laughed.

"Oh sorry, didn't notice."

"Are you sure?"

"Okay, maybe I did."

It was then that both Justin and Dani realized they were standing only a foot apart, although neither of them moved away. Their smiles faded, and Justin leaned in and kissed her.

"What in the world are you two doing?" Max was standing in the doorway, holding an awake Daniela as far away from his body as possible. Justin and Dani leapt away from each other, embarrassed.

"Nothing. Why are you holding Daniela like that?" Dani asked, changing the subject.

"She's got a dirty diaper," Max whispered, wrinkling his nose. The baby just stared at him with her wide brown eyes.

"What, you can't change a simple diaper?"

"No."

Dani sighed. "Fine." She took Daniela from Max, winking back at Justin before leaving the room.

"Whoa," Justin said softly.

"Teenagers are so weird," Max decided.

It was decided that the Russos would be informed about the situation a few days later. Dani sent the message personally. It was very brief, saying merely that they had a new granddaughter and Alex was still ill from it. The following afternoon, both Jerry and Theresa banged on the front door, having hiked up the entire mountain without the aid of magic.

"When exactly did you plan on telling us that you got our daughter pregnant?" Theresa asked Ian in an accusatory tone.

"And you three. Dani, Justin, Max, I assume you've known about this for a while," Jerry said, crossing his arms. The guilty parties looked down at their shoes.

"Ian, what were you thinking? Alex is barely more than a child herself! I thought you might be different from your father, especially after what happened to your mother..."

"What happened to his mother?" Dani whispered to Justin curiously.

"Died in childbirth when she was only nineteen," Justin informed her.

"Died?" Dani shivered. She didn't know as much of the Pendragon history as the Russos did.

"Mom, listen. Ian's been getting enough flack about this from all of us, but truth is he's been taking very good care of Alex this whole time. The pregnancy thing just...happened."

Jerry sighed. "Just show us where our daughter and granddaughter are," he said.

Ian led his mother- and father-in-law to the room where Alex lay immobile. Dani went to get the baby.

"How long has she been like this?" Theresa asked, her voice breaking.

"Nearly a week now," Ian said.

"Is she in a coma?" Jerry questioned, placing a hand on his daughter's forehead.

"I don't think so. She woke up for a few seconds to name the baby. I just think the exertion overtaxed her body and it's trying to repair itself with sleep. But it's been a while," Ian told him.

"Alex, honey, it's your mother," Theresa said softly, shaking her shoulder gently. There was no response.

Right then, Dani walked in with the infant in her arms, who had just awoken from a nap. "Her name's Daniela. Alex named her after me," she said with a smile.

Theresa took Daniela from her and smiled, a maternal look on her face. Even Jerry couldn't help but be transfixed. While they were preoccupied, Ian went over to the bed and stared at his wife, a look of concentration on his face. A second later his eyes closed, and he toppled to the ground.

"Ian!" Dani exclaimed, kneeling next to him and feeling his pulse.

"What happened?" Justin asked in alarm.

"I'm not sure. I guess the idiot's been so busy worrying about Alexis he hasn't been eating or sleeping normally. His pulse is faint," Dani said. She slapped his cheek, not bothering to be gentle. "Wake up, Ian!"

No one noticed Alex's eyes open suddenly. She blinked a few times and, with some difficulty, propped herself on her elbow so she could look down at Ian.

"Ian, what in the world did you do that for?!" She said, her voice cracking from disuse.

The whole room suddenly fell silent in shock. Max was the first one to understand. This was rather unusual, since he was usually the last to get things. "Energy transfer," he said.

"Man he is an idiot," Dani repeated. An energy transfer was where one wizard transferred their own energy to another, so that they could heal faster. It was a risky spell even for the best of wizards and had been known to kill a good number of those who conjured it.

"Alex, you're awake!" Theresa cried happily.

"Yeah but Ian isn't. Dani, how's his pulse now?" Alex asked.

"Worse," Dani replied gravely.

Alex reached down and took Ian's hand. "Listen, Ian. if you die, I die. I can't live without you. Please, don't leave me."

They stayed like that for some time, hands clasped together. At long last Ian's eyes opened slightly, and he said, "I wasn't planning to."

------------------------------------

Well, needless to say Arthur Pendragon found out about Daniela, from one of the birds he sent to spy on his son and daughter-in-law. He came by one evening under the pretense of congratulating the couple, but everyone saw right through him and, after Ian figured out how to lift the magic barrier on the castle, sent him packing in a hurry.

To no one's surprise, Justin and Dani started going out. They visited Ian and Alex often, as did Jerry, Theresa and Max, which was easier now that no one had to mail themselves.

I would end this story with a happily every after, but that's a bit cliché, don't you think? From the way things turned out, however, I expect you can draw your own conclusions.


End file.
